The animated film BOND, created by final year Bournemouth University (BU) students at The National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) has been given two distinction Laurels for taking part in the First-Time Filmmakers Sessions 2022 festival and making it to the next round of the competition.
BOND will be screened at the festival, organised by Lift-Off, for two weeks from July 18 to August 1, via Vimeo ‘On Demand’. The First-Time Filmmakers Sessions is a monthly festival that provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their work with a global audience. Audiences are invited to vote on their first and second favourite films. The top five films will then enter an internal round, where Lift-Off judges pick their overall winner.
Natalie Daniels, General Manager at Lift-Off Global Network Limited said: “From month to month, we are blown away by the originality and standard of the films we receive. The jury always has difficulty selecting the overall winners who receive a screening at Pinewood Studios in the UK and at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.”
BOND was created as part of the final year project by BU students: Cameron Clack, Dylan McGrenaghan, Jonathan Dunkley Gyimah, J.J. Moore, and Kayleigh Wadlow. Lead Animator, Director, and Producer, Cameron Clack created the narrative for the film, which is based on his childhood memories of him and his brother.
Cameron Clack said: “BOND takes memories from my relationship with my younger brother and tries to capture the raw friendship and emotion, especially now we are both pursuing different lives in different parts of the country.”
Traditionally, Laurel awards started in Hollywood in 1948 as a system to honour contributions made to American cinema and was created by the Motion Picture Exhibitor magazine. As modern technologies have been introduced into the industry to allow audiences to watch computer animated motion pictures, the awards have also adapted to include artists who use computer generated visual effects techniques.
Some of the visual effects techniques that the students learn are included within their degree programmes at the NCCA, including: BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art & Design, (Hons) Computer Animation Technical Arts, and BA (Hons) Visual Effects. Ingrid Morrison, lecturer in 3D Computer Animation at the NCCA said: “We were incredibly excited to hear about the team’s nomination and wish them the best of luck in the judging process. Their journey from concept to final film allowed each of the team to develop not only their technical skills but also the essential soft skills to be successful in the industry such as communication and teamwork.”
Character modeler for BOND, Kayleigh Wadlow said, “It was a proud moment to see the evolution of the film. I am so glad to have been a part of this heart-warming animation!”
The two selection Laurel logos will remain on the students’ work to show that the film made it into the entry selection of the festival. The students can use this to show prospective employers in the industry this achievement, even if they don’t win the competition.
BOND will also be screened alongside other students’ work at the NCCA’s annual undergraduate degree showcase event at Framestore’s London Headquarters. Framestore, who are a film, television and VFX production company that supply scenes for some of Hollywood’s biggest pictures will host the event on Thursday 21 July 2022.
BOND’s VFX creator Jonathan Dunkley Gyimah commented, “I am really looking forward to the showcase at Framestore, getting to show our work and see that of others.”
If you have a passion for the digital arts and are interested in developing your own animated film, find out how you can develop the skills you need by visiting the BU website.
